Method, System and Apparatus for the Automatic Collection and Delivery of Spherical Game Elements
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Abstract
An automatic collection method for collecting one or more spherical game elements that may be struck by a striking element is disclosed. In an implementation, the method comprises acquiring a sequence of images or data from an opto-electric detection system of at least one surveillance area of a gaming area, analyzing at least part of said images or data to detect the presence of at least one spherical game element in said surveillance area, wherein the analysis includes a detection of one or both of a deceleration of the at least one spherical game element or the trajectory of the at least one said spherical game element, including an initial trajectory thereof following a strike to the at least one spherical element by the striking device, wherein the detection determines whether the at least one spherical element is going to remain inside the gaming area or is going to travel outside the gaming area, upon detecting that the at least one spherical element will travel outside the gaming area, moving a collection apparatus for the at least one spherical game element to the location of said at least one spherical game element, and collecting the at least one detected spherical game element.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1-15. -15. (canceled)
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16. An automatic collection method for collecting one or more spherical game elements that may be struck by a striking element, the method comprising:
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acquiring a sequence of images or data from an opto-electric detection system of at least one surveillance area of a gaming area; analyzing at least part of said images or data to detect the presence of at least one spherical game element in said surveillance area, wherein the analysis includes a detection of one or both of a deceleration of the at least one spherical game element or the trajectory of the at least one said spherical game element, including an initial trajectory thereof following a strike to the at least one spherical element by the striking device, wherein the detection determines whether the at least one spherical element is going to remain inside the gaming area or is going to travel outside the gaming area; upon detecting that the at least one spherical element will travel outside the gaming area, moving a collection apparatus for the at least one spherical game element to the location of said at least one spherical game element; and collecting the at least one detected spherical game element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for the automatic collection of one or more spherical game elements in a surveillance area having a gaming area, wherein the one or more game elements may be a ball such as a tennis ball, the system comprising:
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an opto-electric detection and acquisition system adapted to acquire image sequences or detect data about the surveillance area; a first movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatus; a second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatus in communication with the first movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatus; and control means for analyzing and processing said image sequences or data to identify the presence of at least one spherical game element in said surveillance area and for sending control commands to one or both of the first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses so that the apparatuses operate in one or both of a complimentary and synchronous manner to collect the one or more spherical game elements, wherein each of said first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses include a spherical game element delivery device operable upon a player request. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A movable apparatus for the automatic collection of spherical game elements comprising:
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an autonomous power supply means such as a rechargeable type battery; image acquisition means for acquiring image sequences of at least one area of surveillance; control means connected to the image acquisition means for receiving the acquired sequences of images, for processing at least part of the sequences of images to detect the presence and position of at least one spherical game element in the surveillance area, for sending a control command to move the apparatus to the position of said detected spherical game element, which is at and for instructing the apparatus to collect the detected spherical game element; and interaction means for interacting with a player to perform a controlled delivery of a collected spherical element to a player, or to locate a spherical element in response to a command given by said player. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification